A landlord of one of Leicestershire’s smallest pubs has been taken to court by council bosses.
Robert Sandham did not respond to a series of demands from environmental health officials asking him to demonstrate he had taken steps to get rid of rubbish from the motor racing-themed Chequered Flag micro-pub in Castle Donington.
He then failed to pay a resulting £300 fine issued by North West Leicestershire District Council.
The 76-year-old appeared at Leicester Magistrates Court today to plead guilty to a charge of failing to provide documents demonstrating he had made prober arrangements to get rid of controlled waste.
Louise Arnold, prosecuting for the council, said The Chequered Flag was required to provide waste transfer notes to show its rubbish was being properly disposed of.
However she said Sandham had not provided the notes requested and then had not paid a fine issued on March 6.
Sandham, who bought the Borough Street bar at the end of 2014, told the court he had arranged for a company to collect waste but it had failed to collect it over a five to seven week period.
He said the company he hired could not access bins at the rear of the one room bar.
He also said he had been taking his rubbish to Co-op across the street to get rid of the two bags of rubbish day while loading empty bottles into his car every two or three days and taking them to the bottle bank.
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Magistrates asked Sandham why he had not paid the fine.
He said: “I had been in difficult circumstances.
“I am not the best administrator.
“I’m a barman and I need to make my administration tighter.”
He was fined £460 and ordered to pay a £46 victim surcharge and costs of £456.74.
